The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have hit the markets and as always they’re in high demand. This time around too, Apple has made only a few incremental changes in their flagship devices. Here is our take on the all new iPhone 7.
It is blazing fast
When it comes to performance, there is no doubt that the latest edition of the iPhone is lightning fast. According to Geekbench, the iPhone 7 scores better in both single core and multi-core tasks with the help of the A10 fusion chip. This makes it the fastest smartphone out there with double the speed of Samsung S7 which ranks at number 2. But are these just numbers? We had the opportunity to get a hands-on experience and the iPhone 7 is indeed blazing fast compared to other flagship devices. Apps and high-intensity graphic games run smoothly without any lag.
Can take great pictures
Camera efficiency has also significantly improved from last year’s iPhone 6s. The camera is now much faster with a larger f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilisation. This allows photos to look sharper even for shaky hands along with an improvement in low light images. The rear camera is good but not the best as there’s still the Samsung Galaxy S7 which outperforms the iPhone 7. The more drastic change was in the iPhone 7 Plus with two lenses at the back – one for wide angle and another for telephoto. This incredible quality camera has revolutionized the entire concept of mobile photography.
[Related: iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – Worth the upgrade?]
No headphone jack
Removal of the headphone jack was a controversial move made by Apple, but the company is known to make such changes in the past. This was intended to encourage the use of wireless headsets which are not highly adopted yet. It might be too early to come to a conclusion how this will affect Apple, since many users still prefer using wired headphones/earphones as they’re easier on the pocket too. Apple has included an adaptor which converts the lighting connector to a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is an additional accessory that needs to be carried along all the time.
Feels like an old iPhone
The phone looks and feels exactly the same as its predecessor 6s and 6s Plus. Physical changes only include tweaking of the antenna band layout and the dual rear camera for iPhone 7 plus. The home button has also undergone a change. With the use of haptic feedback, the home button doesn’t physically click but gives a sensation similar to a click. Apart from these, the iPhone 7 is the same two-year-old design which is a bit disappointing for Apple fans.
The bottom line
The things that make the iPhone 7 great is its speed and camera quality, which is more likely to improve with every generation. However, one common complaint that most users have is the removal of the headphone jack, which is a huge blow for iPhone buyers. Imagine not being able to charge your phone while you listen to music using wired headphones at the same time.
If your iPhone is from an older generation or you’re excited about the new camera, then this is the best iPhone to buy. But if you feel the drawbacks want to make you wait for another year, it may just be worth the wait.